Wild Seed is many reader’s favourite novel in the Patternmaster series and even said to be one of Butler's strongest writings overall. So, what did I think about it? Is it as great as people say it is?
If you’re not familiar with this series, you might want to read my Patternmaster and Mind of my Mind review first, since I will compare the books to each other. However, this is one is read first by a majority (please correct me if I’m wrong) and works well as a stand-alone novel.
Wild Seed goes even further back in time, starting around 1690. Following Doro, who we might already know from Mind of my Mind, and Anyanwu, two immortal entities with different ways of handling their immortality, this book is mostly about their relationship to each other, about morals and the influence of others on one’s life. Slavery continues to be an important theme, as well as ancestry and family.
In the beginning of the book, Doro discovers Anyanwu’s abilities and convinces her to leave her home in Africa with him, planning to use her for his breading program (which isn’t a spoiler if you have read my other reviews, and is revealed early enough to not be one anyway.)
I can absolutely understand why people love this one so much. With fascinating protagonists, writing that evokes poetic imagery, strong themes and messages, as well as an overall well-working plot, there is few to be left desired. Like Mind of my Mind, it works a lot on a emotional level. Connecting with this book strongly depends on sympathy with Anyanwu. Fortunately, Butler manages very well for the reader to care for her.
Plot-wise it reminded me somewhat of Sarah Lark’s New Zealand Saga, but in the best of ways. It is about a woman that has to adapt to a new life in a new country, with a new family and all the strength she gains and all the damage she takes because of that. There is no one big adventure, since it is more character driven that the stories before, but there is still a lot happening.
This is the only book in the series that doesn’t feature a very young protagonist in their twenties, but rather a woman that has lived many lives and lost many children, since they never inherited her powers or immortality. You do notice that she is much more wise and experienced than the main characters that came before her. It was refreshing to read about someone with less of a temper and still a strong will.
The power struggle, that exists in every book so far in one way or another, is much better handled than in Patternmaster, even though the situation could be described as similar: The one that is forced to submit is not as strong of a threat as the one in control things, but still wants to escape their control.
Doro, who has always been used to controlling others, has to deal with Anyanwu’s strong personality, unable to set her free but forced to make exceptions for her. Even though their relationship is of course abusive, it makes Doro seem more human than he did before.
From all the sequels, Wild Seed has maybe the closest connection to the other books. It elaborates on themes already established and brings back characters from Mind of my Mind, who are now given a deeper personality.
There is not really more I can say about this book without getting into specific examples and therefore spoiler territory. If you prefer a quiet but deep read, which gives you a lot to think about, over non-stop action, give this book a try. While I still personally preferred Mind of my Mind a little, there are both just strong books on their own but work even better together.
Tomorrow, I will discuss the last book, Clay’s Ark, which tells a totally different backstory to Patternmaster and really caught me off guard with that.
Read Part 4 here